Today’s corporations have new channels through which to get their message out. Whether it is in response to a crisis or public criticism, or to proactively do brand messaging, the mainstream media channels are not the exclusive venue anymore.

Case in point, conservative blogger Rob Bluey’s writes about Big Oil and their efforts to preempt the media’s attacks on the industry for having “excessive profits.” They are, in short, getting their story out and if the common channels–network television–don’t take kindly to your message, you have to find a different messenger.

Seeking to get in front of the brewing storm over rising gas prices, the American Petroleum Institute on Thursday hosted a conference call for bloggers with its chief economist, John Felmy. Realizing it won’t get favorable treatment from the liberal media, Big Oil is turning to bloggers to share its message.

I had the opportunity to sit in on one of these conference call meetings with Ken Cohen, the vice president of public affairs for Exxon Mobil.He spoke to a group of conservative bloggers at the Heritage Foundation’s weekly bloggers’ lunch. Blue comments on that meeting:

Cohen’s focus was on global warming, but his presenceat the meeting was a clear signal that the company was willing to engage with a new medium.

They are smart in doing so. Whether the criticism on big oil is called for or not, I’ll let you decide (I have my own views, of course…), but every company has the mandate to ad value to their stock holders, and should have the opportunity to share their side of the story.

It is foolish for a company to not make use of the new-media channels (Blogging, YouTube, etc.) and make sure their side of the story is getting out. Ultimately, the consumer appreciates having more information with which to make an informed and educated judgment or decision.

technorati tags:Big, oil, PR, news, exxon, Robert, Bluey, media